Digital marketing channels are essential for small businesses because they can reach a wider audience. There are many types of digital marketing channels, and each one has its unique benefits. To reach the right customers, it’s important to understand each channel and how it works.
If you don’t know where to begin, don’t worry. Here’s a quick breakdown of each digital marketing channel and how they work to benefit your growing business.
Social Media Optimization (SMO)
Nowadays, it’s no longer enough just to have social media accounts for your business and call it a day — you’ll need to actively market your business on all these platforms, too. Social media optimization (SMO) is about promoting your business across all major social channels, including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.
SMO is an integral part of the organic reach of your website because it can drive traffic to your website. It can also boost your search engine rankings by increasing the number of pages that link back to your site and may even raise your conversion rates in some cases.
Of course, the more active you are on social media, the more effective your efforts are. It’s also essential to remain consistent with what you post across all channels, as social media users can quickly lose interest if you’re all over the place.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Optimizing your website and content for the search engines is another critical aspect of digital marketing. Search engine optimization (SEO) is about driving traffic to your website by using keywords and boosting the number of backlinks from other websites.
To reach the right customers when searching, it’s essential to make sure your site ranks high on Google for the relevant keywords. If you’re not on the first page, you’ll get lost in the shuffle, and your website will see little to no traffic.
You’ll need to optimize your website for the search engines and promote it across different platforms. You can boost your SEO efforts by writing guest posts, participating in link-building campaigns, and using social media to increase your website’s exposure.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Although organic efforts are certainly worthwhile, if you’re looking for instant exposure and more business now, search engine marketing (SEM) may be the way to go. SEM is bidding on keywords related to products or services to increase traffic and conversions.
To gain visibility on search engines, you’ll need to bid on keyword phrases related to your business, so your website appears as a sponsored ad. While it’s not the only way to improve your site’s visibility, SEM can have a high return on investment when it’s done well, especially if you want to target a specific region or cohort.
You could also use paid ads to increase your reach. For instance, if you’re starting a home improvement franchise business, promoting your business through Facebook or Google Ads would make sense to reach a broader audience to acquire customers.
Affiliate Marketing
While affiliate marketing is a great way to increase your revenue, you won’t see instant results. This is because affiliate marketing refers to a specific type of performance-based marketing in which you earn commissions for referring users to a product or service.
This means that you won’t be selling any of your products or services, but instead, you’ll be recommending products or services that you think your customers will enjoy. When executed correctly, affiliate marketing can effectively drive traffic to your site and increase your revenue.
Aside from that, it’s worth noting that affiliate marketing also has no long-term commitment, which means it’s one of the best solutions for businesses that want to try one marketing channel and see how it goes.
Email Marketing
Although email is one of the oldest digital marketing channels, it remains important because it works — and brings high ROI. Email marketing refers to sending emails to customers or prospects with promotional content. Plus, you could even send discounts and promos to your customers!
Building up an email list is a great way to keep in touch with current and potential customers, but it does take time. You’ll have to work on growing your email list continuously, but the returns are worth it because you’ll have a group of people who are already interested in what you have to offer.
Email marketing is a great way to increase conversions and boost customer engagement. However, it’s crucial to start this form of marketing with a goal in mind. By setting clear, achievable objectives and communicating them to your target audience, you’ll have a better idea of how to measure your campaign’s success.
Digital marketing is a sound investment for any business, but it’s also an ongoing process that requires commitment. You’ll need to have patience as you go along, but in the end, your efforts will be worth it.